Eccentric Youko
by Yamki
Summary: Youko makes three attempts to get his crush-Hiromu-notice her. Go Busters Parallel Universe
1. Chapter 1

On a chilly winter morning, a young woman with the name Youko Usami, graced the EMC halls of Dainan with one agenda in her mind: to attend the EMC's annual international convention featuring the brightest scientists of the world. A scientist herself, she recognized the urgency to update her mind through mind blowing discourses that one could only find in a convention. She was with her brother figure Ryuji Iwasaki, who worked in Dainan too just as herself, only as a system engineer.

Ryuji was ahead of her discussing state of the art mecha designs when Youko sneaked out from their group to check the nearest snacks at a table nearby. Her nose wiggled when she smelled the data analyst/Usada Lettuce's freshly baked jelly buns. Having sensed that Youko was careful in her steps towards the coveted table, Ryuji pulled the collar of her blazer. Youko let out a small shriek.  
"You have to mingle with at least 10 scientists in your field before you talk to the jelly buns, Youko," the brother figure said, crossing his arms in slight disappointment, "besides you have taken your breakfast only 30 min ago"  
Yes, i need to concentrate now, Youko thought, gaining more resolve.  
She said her apologies to Ryuji and proceeded instead to a group of scientist-pilots who were discussing about recent breakthroughs in their career. Now that's something Youko would like to know.  
Another 30 min passed and Youko excused herself from the group to go back the jelly bun business. As she approached the table, she felt her heart sunk like the ship, Titanic. The jelly buns were gone~for good.  
Feeling her legs becoming like jell-o, she supported herself by seating on the nearest metallic chair from her right.  
"No more jelly buns" she sighed heavily.  
Her solemn expression took the attention of a young man who was drinking from a plain cup of black coffee.  
Child, he muttered under his breath. Nevertheless, he offered his own bun to her. When she looked up at her benefactor, she smiled widely.  
Not only was he kind hearted, but he was a looker himself! His eyes were beautifully shaped like almonds. His short cropped hair shone like silk. His immaculate lab gown perfectly matched his fair skin. To her, he was a gem in the batch of scientists of her generation.  
She was smiling at him like an idiot that she never felt him lose the jelly bun to her hands and walked away after performing a slightly angled bow at her. Her consciousness returned thanks to a gentle slap from Ryuji.  
"Wow!You just met the future center chief of Dainan!" Ryuji said in disbelief.  
"T—that's Hiromu Sakurada?" Youko asked, her eyes getting wide. She had heard about him in magazines, newspapers, and journals. She never expected that he would look like someone who got out from a photo op.  
Ryuji nodded at her, as if confirming her thoughts.  
"Do you know him?" She prodded and removed the wrapper of the bun, folded it, and inserted it to her lab gown. She took a bite of the bun as Ryuji wondered why she never threw the wrapper to the bin.  
"Yes, he's a pilot scientist like you, just transferred from Tokyo Subfacility 2 to your department"  
Youko giggled like a high school student student. She held the bun close to her heart and smiled silly at her brother.  
"Ryusan," she said, her cheeks shifting from pink to red, "You're going to have a brother in law."


	2. Chapter 2

Eccentric Youko Chapter 2

Using her bag to shield her face from people, Youko tiptoed all the way to to the entrance of an odd-looking tent across her working space. Inside, she found herself face to face with a middle aged woman who eyed her from her face to her ID.

"Hmm, and what can I do for a scientist like you?" She asked in amusement.

Youko didn't have any reasons to blame her. Her noble profession do not patronize the art of beyond. Furthermore, divination was only for the desperate. And for the lack of better term, Youko categorized herself as 'desperate.'

"I need you to tell me if I have a chance with this guy I like in work." She said, shifting from anxiety to bold resolve.

The fortune-teller grazed her palm over her deck of carrot cards, "Oh. Let me see." She reshuffled them a bit and asked Youko to cut through the deck. A few cards were laid in front of her. She blinked twice in apprehension.

"And his name?"

The mere resonation of his name in her head was enough to make her heart skip a beat. "Sakurada Hiromu," she replied, her cheeks starting to stain pink. The fortune-teller forced a short smile, basking in the entertainment that was in front of her. If there's one thing that Youko hadn't mastered yet, it's the art of waiting.

Soon, the fortune-teller began to mumble in sing-song, "You and Sakurada Hiromu in the parallel universe were close. You fought against a group of villains called Vaglass. You were sentai heroes. You were close as buddies, but never as lovers." Sensing the shift in the mood of her client, she continued, "But! In another universe, you were lovers."

YES! Youko casted a mental image of her screaming in delight.

"So there's a chance for us, right?"

"In your profession, I think it's called 50%"

Youko thanked her fortune teller and emerged from the tent feeling hopeful. Fifty percent to some might be irreconcilable, but for a no-quitter like Youko Usami, it is enough motivation for her to move to stage 2.

And stage 2 is…to get Hiromu like her back. Or for better results, to get the guy fall in love with her. She smiled her widest (to the point that it became creepy to some who were passing by). She never had felt this way before, not even to her Hasekawa sensei.

What could be the most probable way to get him to fall in love with me? She thought. And just as when she saw her colleagues looking at the huge clock beside a tower, she suddenly felt the answer at the tip of her tongue. Get Hiromu's schedule! She realized in delight.

8:00 AM, Dainan Subfacility 1

Hiromu paced to the coffee station assigned to his department, looking for some arabica beans to brew. Seeing that there's nothing to brew, he went back to his favorite side of the nook to read the headlines from the day's paper. Thirty seconds passed, he stood once more, feeling annoyed. How can the EMC staff forget to re-stock their supplies? The staff at Dainan were kind but they were not as assertive as the ones from Tokyo subfacility. Raking a hand to his hair, he felt less sensible minute by minute.

Should I ask someone from the research deparment? He thought. Then changed his mind when he realized that it was only the second day of his transfer.

He barely noticed a girl smirking from the hallway, whose hands were busy with stuffing all arabica beans inside her locker. With the coffee beans gone, she prepared her tray with two espressos and a breakfast burrito that she brought from a nearby coffee shop. She walked with grace to the other side of the nook, left a small smile of formality, and sat down.

The fragrance of the two freshly brewed espressos filled his senses. Youko noticed immediately that his eyebrows were meeting. Any second now, and the boy will surely react.

"Do you take two espressos in the morning?" Hiromu initiated, pretending to read from sports section. He felt glad that she didn't seem offended by his question.

Taking the cup to her lips, Youko inhaled and answered softly, "The other one's for Ryuusan. But he just told me that he had his coffee an hour ago." She took the cup down and tilted her head to the side, "Is there something wrong with my caffeine intake, sensei…?" She furrowed, pretending that he was a stranger to her.

"Oh." Hiromu stood quite gracefully from his seat and offered his hand to her, "Sakurada Hiromu. Hiromu would be fine." Youko accepted his hand. The close contact felt as if her heart was tearing from her chest. Smile creeped into her, without taking notice of the five second lapse of their close contact.

As one of the few who didn't like to be touched that long, Hiromu gently removed his hand from her. He shifted his eyes to her ID and began to speak once more, "Your name is Usami Youko. We're in the same department. Yoroshiku."

"I'm looking forward to work with you, Hiromu." In her head, she mentally slapped herself for leaving obvious clues on how much she liked him. She was blessed that he was one of the few who were dense in this kind of compromised situations.

She took the other cup from her tray and neared it to his plate. "Please accept this coffee as sign of…new beginnings." In return, she received a slight bow from him.

"Arigato" Hiromu said in reply. He smiled shortly at her kindness. Though it was short, it was enough to send Youko to lalaland. She tried to hide her embarrassment by pretending to read from her notebook. When Hiromu looked away, she took her pen and scribbled:

Tokumei: Get Hiromu to talk to her over a coffee. Accomplished.


	3. Eccentric Youko C3

Eccentric Youko Chapter 3

She went beyond the distance by conspiring with purchasing office to delay the delivery of Hiromu's desk. At first, Hiromu was not bothered by it. He can just go to the commons and bring his work there. But on the third day, Hiromu couldn't stand moving from one place to another. His eyes skimmed at the desks of his eight colleagues, and only one desk seemed clean and spacious enough for one more employee. He stood while her back faced him, formality and casualness debating in the gears of his head.

He didn't know if it was proper. Three days ago he bluntly asked for her coffee. The day after he bothered her by borrowing her wireless mouse. Now, he's going to ask for a share in her desk. The perfectionist in him tells him that his first week is a complete mess. And this girl right in front of him always had solutions to what he lacked.

Feeling his eyes becoming heavier, he realized how badly he needed a short nap. When working his best, all nighters become part of his routine. Although they have lounges for employees, he thought how much time will be wasted if he indulged himself with it.

"My buddyroid Usada usually sits here. But until he's finished with his check-up, you may take his side of my desk." Youko tapped the most spacious part of her desk, signalling him to come over and sit.

He bowed slightly, "Please don't mind my intrusion." He sat beside her and was thankful that there's a significant distance between them. The woman beside him took her Usada plush and offered it to him. Thanking her once more, Hiromu angled the plush like a pillow and uncharacteristically dropped his forehead in it.

"You have everything I need" he muttered and dozed off.

Hearing these words from him made her smile. She took her notebook from her purse and scribbled:

Tokumei: Share desk with Hiromu. Accomplished.

When Hiromu woke up, Youko was nowhere to be seen. But a freshly brewed coffee was sitting right in front of him. Scribbled on it was his name, and the words, "for your all nighter."

It was her day off. And she thought that she needed ample of "me-time" before she could devise another week of "winning Hiromu" plans. She stopped in the middle of her singing when she saw a five year old girl lost and crying across the street. Without thinking twice, she hurried to reach her and lowered her head to match the little girl's eyes.

"Hello! I'm Youko oneesan. Can I help you?"

The little girl told her that she was with her mother and "bike-san", but was separated from them when she ran off to see the brand new vending machine installed from the corner of their street. She sniffed once more while confessing that her sense of direction was as bad as "bike-san's." Youko couldn't help but think of bike-san as a bike that really talks.

"Shall we go to the nearest police station? I think your mother and bike-san are there."

The little girl nodded apprehensively. Youko extended her hand to her and together they went to the nearest police station. The little girl's mother was there and immediately she cried in relief after seeing her. Youko searched around the facility looking for a bike but she guessed that the child must have a plush named after it instead. The mother and the child thanked her and Youko giddily stepped outside the station, singing once more. When Youko was gone, a man appeared beside the mother with a startled expression. He lowered his head to match his niece's eyes, "Was that the oneesan who helped you?" He asked. The child nodded and the man hurried to step outside to follow her.

The thought of the mother of the child inspired Youko to buy white roses from her favorite flower shop. Minutes of fast walking—and hopping— passed by and she found herself facing her mother's grave. Her expression shifted from happiness to melancholy. Gently, she dropped her roses and sat with her knees touching the soft grass. She hung her head low.

Soon, tears started to drip down from her cheeks. "I miss you, okasan," she said, and cried silently for her mother who died when she was only nine.

Her alertness fading, Youko was not able to notice another pair of knees touching the soft grass.. And then she felt it, a gentle nudging of a handkerchief on one side of her face. She looked up and almost lost her balance when she saw Hiromu, extending his handkerchief to her.

"G—gomen!" She said, standing up, looking very embarrassed. Why in the world is Hiromu here? She wiped the remaining tears with her cardigan.

Not knowing what to say, Youko turned the other way and began to walk huge steps. On her fourth step, she felt a strong grip on her right wrist. She turned to him, but without meeting his eyes.

"I—i'm sorry. For invading your space like that," he said apologetically, "the child that you assisted a while ago was my niece and I was about to thank you personally but—" He stopped suddenly, following Youko's gaze to her wrist that remained in his free hand. He let go abruptly and bowed his apology.

She felt her heart flutter seeing the startled expression on his face. He was always the poker-faced type, shifting only from a short smile to a blank expression. To Youko, seeing him startled is something new.

"Is it your day off too?" She asked innocently, her gears shifting back to winning Hiromu whatever it takes mode. She knew of course that it was his day off, but wouldn't risk to disclose being all-knowing of Hiromu's activities.

Hiromu nodded.

"I see. Enjoy your day then, Hiromu." She bowed slightly and turned away from him. When he was out of her sight, she touched her wrist and smiled giddily, feeling the touch of his grip there. It wasn't as intimate as holding hands, but it was enough to fill her void.


	4. Chapter 4

Ch 4

"Why are you so obsessed with him?" Ryuuji asked while hovering over Youko's collection of Hiromu items on her desk. There was the umbrella, the mouse, and the coffee cup that he used previously, all washed and kept neatly inside ziplocks of differrent sizes.

"I'm not obsessed with him Ryuusan," she scoffed, taking away the prized items and putting them inside a storage box, "I adore him."

 _It's the same, isn't it?_ Ryuuji wondered. But instead of replying to her with those words, he came with a suggestion instead. "why don't you cook for him or get to know his interests? I'm sure that's a step to developing your relationship."

"That's the conventional way to do it. You see Ryuusan, I am _unique._ "

* * *

Youko was carrying her prized storage box at the EMC grounds when she suddenly remembered forgetting her planner that contained steps in winning Hiromu. Though she was wearing flats, her clumsiness always had ways of humoring her. For instance, she fell over and the top of the box flew, flying with it her prized possessions. She hurried over, collecting first the scratch papers that Hiromu discarded and the pictures of him that she cut from magazines. She gasped in horror when a hand assisted her. It was none other than Hiromu with his usual deadpanned expression.

Without letting her be embarrassed more, Hiromu scanned briefly her possessions that he previously used. Youko thought that his eyebrows were raised for a brief second in wonder, but returned as soon as he caught her looking at him. When the collection was over, Youko grasped the ends of the box tight, careful not to meet his deadpanned eyes. She bowed low in deep embarrassment.

" _Gomenasai._ Please let me explain." _Think, think, think! Or else your opportunity will get away!_ However deep in thinking, Youko couldn't find the right words to express. All the gimmicks of being demure and uninterested ebbed like soap bubbles.

Hiromu was the considerate type in this matter. He blurted, "Either I used them or you let me used them." His eyes pointed to the items he borrowed from her and the disposables he used. Even the coffee cups.

" _Hai~_ wait, what?" she eyed him owlishly, as if surprised that he exposed her intentions. And to confirm, Hiromu took out a yellow planner from his lab gown pocket. It was her planner. All ideas and conspiracies perfectly detailed there.

" _Gomen._ I thought you left it so I took it with me. And then I saw my name in Latin so the scientist in me had to verify my observations." For a fraction a second, his eyebrows furrowed in deep thought. Youko thought that he was choosing his words carefully, albeit bluntly.

Her face went crimson red and she lost count in the times she had blinked in apprehension. _Baka! Scientists use Latin in naming species! Maybe he thought previously that I named my notebook after him!_ She imagined burying her face on a pillow later for her outright stupidity.

He spoke again. "You have flexed enough time planning and devising your strategies." It sounded like he approved of her as a person than a stalker. Youko could only nod her reply. It was an opportunity to deny it yet her resolve outweighs her cowardice. Like him, she was also a proud person.

"You are a hardworker. And an unconventional type too." He spoke these words as if he had observed her for a very long time.

" _sou..desu_ " she said slowly and an awkward smile crept in her face.

" _dakara_ (therefore)…" he took the box from her hands and laid it down on the floor so she wouldn't have any reasons to look away. He placed his hands firmly on her shoulders, "We're compatible."

" _eh?!_ " _am I hearing it right? Am I dreaming?_

"We should go out"

"huh?!" _go out? Like a couple?_ Good thing that the box was already free from her hands. Otherwise they'll fall leisurely on the floor.

"And marry afterwards."

" _EH?!"_

* * *

When she opened her eyes, her head was resting at a high breakfast table. She sighed happily, relieved that Hiromu's words were everything but a dream.

"So have you thought about it?" Youko instantly straightened up and tapped her cheeks. _Wake up wake up wake up!_ Hiromu chuckled at the sight of her spontaneous comic.

She realized that it wasn't a dream. He told her that she fainted on the spot of his proposal and the only thing that he could get her into breathing was a jelly bun. Soon their colleagues were occupying the nooks and high tables nearby, glancing at them every now and then and speculating about their sudden closeness.

Dismissing their colleagues' annoying faces from her head, Youko lowered her voice when she asked, "Sakurada-san, could it be that you have fallen for me?"

Hiromu waved both his hands in the midlevel. "Ah please don't get me wrong Usami-san. I mean to say that we are scientifically compatible. You see, I will be replacing my father soon as the center chief and I need someone who will support me both in the transition and take over."

 _So, no love huh?_ If she were to rate him right now, he had just lost 50 points. She had to write that later in her not so secret anymore planner. But she was also curious as to why she had been chosen even if love is not a factor involved.

Sensing a new batch of jelly buns nearby, Youko walked over the shelf with Hiromu tailing behind her. "I think your capabilities alone can address the problem Sakurada-san. Surely your buddyroid bike-san~"

"Nick" he corrected while getting a new tray for her.

She bowed and took jelly buns and coffee on her tray"…Nick is enough. And I could not be the only girl you know right? I mean you must have also dated girls in your life~"

Hiromu made a clicking sound with his tongue. "None."

Youko's eyebrows were raised. "None? Impossible." _A good-looking man like him can attract too many prospects. Unless he denies them?_

When she was done filling her tray, she thought of getting another one for the cakes. As if Hiromu read her thoughts, he took the heavy tray from her while he pushed towards her a new one. "May I ask what is in me that you like Usami-san?" the query was confident but not conceited.

She stopped filling her tray and looked at him straight in the eye. "Well Sakurada-san, it's your compassionate heart. You think of others before yourself." It was as loud as his query and was enough to make the gossipers hush.

He returned to her the exact intensity of her stare. "Exactly my point why I don't date Usami-san. Plus you are unconventional" it was the kind of stare that made her heart leap. It works everytime he makes an address of his convictions.

"But me? Why me?" she staggered, walking towards the high table that she previously occupied.

She was about to bite a large piece from her jelly bun when he answered, "I need an heir." Her Jelly bun was dropped on her tray like a hot potato. She used a hand to fan herself. _He must be kidding, right?_

Hiromu sighed, took the fallen bun, and placed it on her free hand. " A potential successor to be the center chief after me. If in two years we marry, we may be able to produce a genius. We're in our prime anyways."

 _So that's what it is. A contract to secure the future of Dainan. His reason was patriotic, so he deserved an additional 20 points. Demo! It was not based on love so a subtraction of 20 points!_ She thought.

And then she said aloud, "But you have been observing me only. You cannot say we're a hundred percent compatible."

He smiled, as if he expected those words from her. Though she's his devotee, her work ethic never fails in comparison.

"That's why an experiment, Usami-san, in order to test my hypothesis. I propose that we cohabitate."


	5. Eccentric Youko C5

Eccentric Youko Ch 5

"Is it true Youko-chan?"

Youko shrugged, her chin resting on the top of her unusually cluttered desk. While her expression was close to normal, Nakamura-san was that of disbelief and worry. Never it crossed her mind that Youko would be in a relationship with him (Hiromu). She had seen the two talking casually more than they would with others, but only as professionals and not as lovers.

"There is no romantic relationship between the two of us oneechan" Youko huffed as if reading her mind, earning in reply a disappointed look from Nakamura-san, "It's an experiment for compatibility."

"Well, I think you have to reject him right away." Nakamura-san said without hesitation. She had been a sister to her eversince the other lost her mother. It was natural for her to feel responsible.

Youko nodded and took out a small shabby notebook that contained her monthly expenses. In her mind, she had imagined a mecha sized Usada scolding at her for saving too little, "You wouldn't be able to save because you spend most of your salary and allowance in buying expensive sweets!" Youko couldn't help it, beside her apartment was a line of international and local pastry shops. She thought she needed to address her weak point interestingly with a variety of sweets to choose from.

Nakamura-san bursted her thought bubbles, "the dorm for all EMC scientists will be renovated this week, as Morishita-san said. It's good that Iwasaki-san offered him to stay in his apartment until the renovation is finished."

"Oh, that's thoughtful of Ryuusan" Youko said in reply, unsurprised at the charitable deed that his brother had done. She and Nakamura-san gathered what they need as pilots were called to proceed to the hangar.

xxxxxxxxxxx

"Have you thought about it?" Hiromu asked for what Youko knew as the fifth. This time, he approached her working with RH-03, a mecha that was only compatible with her buddyroid Usada. Beside RH-03 was CB-01, a mecha that was transported from Tokyo Subfacility to Dainan since Hiromu was only allowed to pilot it. Both mechas were supplemented with new features that only the head engineer and Ryuuji know. Curiosity kicking in, Youko was trying to find out that ability as Hiromu followed her to every corner of RH-03.

"Err you see—I am a traditional type." Youko sweatdropped, pretending to recheck again if the maintenance had done their job properly. She hoped that maybe with her reasoning, Hiromu would stop asking her about the proposal. She cursed in her head when she realized that she forgot her pen from her other coat pocket.

"So am I." He shrugged, seeming to know instinctively Youko's need for a writing material. He took a pen from his pocket and handed it to her. Youko received it awkwardly.

A dead air consumed the both of them for Youko thought lasted for a minute until Hiromu spoke again with the words that as far as Youko knows, he does not understand.

"Shall we marry first and move together then?" He said casually, which made Youko blush tremendously. An image of them getting married and living together as husband and wife, with Nick and Usada in tow seemed to please her. Not until she imagined Usada bickering with Nick over a can of enetron. The red color instantly drained from her face. She stopped writing.

"Daijobou?" Hiromu asked, bending over to face her as he gently placed his palm on her forehead, "You look pale."

"Yo! Youko-chan!" The face of Jin Masato, head engineer of the mechas suddenly appeared from RH-03's side monitor, "We added another jumping feature for RH-03. I'd like you to test that and give me a feedback." Hiromu instantly dropped his hand, feeling his face getting a bit red from being caught in a compromised situation. He and Youko stood immediately with a stagger.

"Yokai" Youko replied as she grazed her hand over the intercom to call for Usada.

"Ooh! Did I just see Hiromu there? Hi Hiromu!" Jin was making an awkward dance with his buddyroid J at the back, "Would you accompany Youko-chan for a test drive? I heard you are Tokyo Subfacility's ace."

"I can do that by myself Jin-san" Youko suddenly cut in, her pride, her true color suddenly coming out. Her immediate shift from being awkward to work-mode surprised Hiromu.

They can see Jin-san smiling at them in amusement. He turned to Hiromu and said, "Youko-chan's our ace pilot too! Well she's at par with Ryuuji. She relies on competition to test her strengths. I think you would be a great partner for her." Behind him, J pointed at a female bug from a picture book and called it his partner.

"P—partner?! What are you saying, Jin-san?" Color appeared again on Youko's cheeks. The atmosphere inside RH-03 was not helping at all. She used a hand to fan face.

Jin seemed to decode what was obvious with Youko blushing and Hiromu being shallow about the whole thing. He thought what Ryuuji told him about Youko having a crush for the first time was unbelievable until he saw it himself. He thought both were compatible, with skill sets that would secure Dainan's future when combined. With Hiromu he couldn't tell if there's more than his blank stare. But rather than going straight to the point of his teasing, he said to her otherwise, "A testing partner what else? Besides it's good to have another insight."

"Alright, Jin-san." Youko sighed, raising both her hands in surrender. She looked at Hiromu with her arms crossed and raised her brows, insinuating if he would like to join her in testing RH-03. He nodded without a second doubt, admired this proud side of her, and went after her to the pilots' changing rooms.

xxxxxxxxxx

It was only during her retirement to her apartment that she realized that she had shown him a side of her that contrasted with her usual way of approaching him. Usada watched her in wonder as she hit her forehead with her palm.

"Does that siscon like you?" Usada asked as he poked his head to space of her door frame.

"Siscon who?" Youko pulled the door knob to let Usada in. Her buddyroid chose to sit on a cushion beside her desk. Meanwhile she rested her back comfortably on her bed and hugged a carrot shaped pillow nearby.

"The other pilot who was with you. His sister is so protective of him even if he's in his late 20s."

Youko blinked in apprehension, "Oh that siscon. No, I don't think he does." She knew that the one who was emotionally investing in their "relationship" was only her. How sad one-sided Love is!

Usada felt the loneliness in her words. As a data analyst, he also knew the words that Youko needed at the moment. "Really? When you were three years old he accepted your proposal to marry him."

This news felt more surprising than finding a new enetron reservoir. Youko raised her head to meet her buddyroid's gaze, "Huh?!"

"Oh you don't remember then." Usada said, not surprised at all. And so Usada began to tell the tale:

 _While waiting for her mother to finish work, Youko felt her insides hurting. She realized that she had eaten the snack that she was supposed to save late in the afternoon. She was new to the vaccine program that she had not managed yet when her inner batteries would need nourishment. She was at EMC's daycare when her weakpoint attacked her. She stumbled and fell, her face flat on the mat._

 _She was about to cry, her face contorting to what her mind could process as pain and shame. Until she heard a plastic crackling behind her ears, and a strong pair of arms helping her to sit. A boy, about seven years old, offered a fresh jelly bun for her to eat. Compared to other toddlers, he looked really clean._

 _"I have a weakpoint too." The boy said, taking a seat next to her, "I froze when I see chickens. I got locked at a cage before."_

 _Youko didn't seem to pay attention to him until she finished the whole bun. A new wave of energy suddenly entered her. She felt grateful and smiled at the boy who sat with her._

 _"Arigato oni."_

 _For an hour they played together with toy legos, trying to build eight inch mechas out of them. Youko built a rabbit mecha while her playmate crafted a cheetah._

 _And then her buddyroid Usada rushed over her, looking worried even though it cannot be seen on his face. The boy suddenly had an understanding that the rabbit mecha looked like her buddyroid._

 _"Gomen ne Youko-chan!" The buddyroid said while helping Youko stand on her feet, "Let's go, your mother is waiting."_

 _Toddlers have their unique and fascinating way with words. As Usada cleaned her, Youko uttered words that made the buddyroid gasped._

 _"Ne Usada, you will have a brother-in-law."She pointed at her playmate who was helping her tidy up the play area, "I will marry this oni. Right oni?" She never bothered to ask his name. She was contented to call him oni._

 _The boy smiled and nodded at her. Youko smiled back and felt like the happiest kid in the world. Even if she did not fully understand what she was saying back then._

"Eh??? He's that boy back then??" Youko couldn't believe her ears, and her heart that went drumming in crescendo. For some strange reason, the memory flooded to her anew.

Usada was about to reply, but his watch gave an alarming beep. It was a signal from the command center, politely asking for the data analyst to render his service.

"I need to go Youko-chan, I'll come back tomorrow." Usada said, leaving Youko dumbfounded as he exited through her door.

As soon as Usada left, rain started pouring in. Seeing some of her clothes hung at the veranda to dry, Youko stumbled in a hurry to collect them all. She sighed in relief as her lab coats remain unharmed. Her doorbell rang, and she chuckled thinking it was Usada who forgot again his working kit.

Her smiled dropped seeing Hiromu outside her door instead, with a duffel bag clutched tightly in his hand.

xxxxxxxxxxx

"Our dorms are being renovated." He said in his quite awkward tone as Youko handed to her a cup of warm coffee, "I can't think of anybody else." They were sitting opposite each other at a high nook. Hiromu fought himself to count the rabbit figurines on a nearby shelf.

"How about your sister?" Were the only words Youko could use to reply. She had not forgotten that during the test drive earlier, she became impatient in being told otherwise.

Hiromu let out a fake cough while red patches started coloring his cheeks, "She's overprotective." Although he thought that his buddyroid Nick would very much prefer to spend a month there than with Youko and Usada. He felt embarrassed that the information about his sister being overprotective was spreading like wild fire. He fixed his gaze at his cup, and Youko fought the urge to take advantage of his vulnerable state. She thought of teasing him, call him "siscon," and laugh her lungs out.

Except that her childhood memory crossed her mind again. She wondered, as Hiromu remained preoccupied of his cup, if he remembered that very embarrassing memory. She thought all her life that she was abnormal for not having crushes, until Usada dropped the bomb that she did have at a young age of three. And as if fate was playing at her, it was the same person!

"You need me" he said suddenly, his eyes now turned to hers. It was the same intense stare that he gave when she heard his proposal for the first time. The statement was not hurting her pride at all, it gave unpleasant feeling in her stomach instead.

"You seem confident that I need you Sakurada-san—"

Hiromu brought out a small notebook from his jacket pocket. She thought it appeared familiar until she acknowledged that the notebook was hers. It was her monthly expenses notebook.

"I'll pay my part of the rent" He finished, laying the notebook on her side of the nook.

xxxxxxxxxxx

The next morning, Youko found him seated on his futon, his eyes heavily laden with dark circles.

"Did you sleep at all?" She asked, trying her utmost not to laugh at his miserable state.

Hiromu pointed but did not look at a medium sized chicken figurine beside her stereo. Youko had completely forgotten that his weakpoint was about chickens. She felt guilty as she removed the figurine and placed it in a cupboard. When she returned, she snickered all the way, her hand trying to disguise her big smile.

"I'm sorry I find your weakpoint funny."

It was not in his nature to retaliate, especially that she was his host. He remained polite and straightforward as ever, from the breakfast that they shared together and even when he volunteered to wash the dishes. Youko didn't find him bothersome either. Perhaps it was her childhood memory that made him familiar to her. She was relieved that he did not have any memory of her and of that embarrassing proposal. If he did, then he would retaliate earlier by mentioning her weakpoint. It was similarly funny as her weakpoint.

She rechecked once more the lights and the plugs before heading to the exit, with Hiromu in tow. Just as her right foot was outside the door, she felt his hand grasp her arm. The sudden contact gave her goosebumps.

"You forgot your choco Usami-san."

And with those words, Youko's eyes went wide.


	6. Chapter 6

Eccentric Youko Ch 6

She was silent the whole time. She couldn't bring her guts to inquire if Hiromu had anything to say about their fateful incident years back. Her pondering eyes never left him even as he resumed his work inside the laboratory. She was sure about one thing: he might knew about the weakpoint. He might have remembered what happened years ago. But she couldn't find the words to express it.

"Do you have anything to say to me, Usami-san?" Hiromu inquired.

Youko jumped from her thoughts. Soon, colors of shame started to spread on her cheeks. She couldn't figure out if she's blushing out of embarrassment or of the way his eyes searched for answers in hers. She moved her head sideways in reply. As the day went on, she had but her tongue tied. And so, she let it be.

XXXXXX

" _Sakurada-san, I will be late tonight. Make sure you lock the doors."_

Hiromu couldn't count the many times he looked at the carrot-shaped wall clock. The clock had struck nine. The sight of his jacket hanging nearby caught his attention too.

XXXXXX

Youko passed by the convenience store near her apartment. It had been weeks since she got herself a bowl of instant ramen. The ramen had not yet passed her lips when she was interrupted by a group of delinquents her age. If there was something that easily peeved her out, it would be people disturbing her from taking her snack.

"Can we join you?" one of the men placed a hand on her shoulder. Fury replaced the placidness on her face in an instant.

She grabbed the man's arm and performed her best judo move on him. The man writhed in pain while the rest prepared for a simultaneous attack. Youko aimed her fist at them. For the first time in her life, she felt animated. _Was I like this in the parallel universe?_ She thought.

Her attackers ran to her together. One by one, they fell on the cold pavement. Youko uttered a "hmp" and went back to finish her ramen. She didn't mind when slowly they got on their feet, ready to attack her once more. One took a knife from his pocket. Youko sighed, thinking how cliché it was. She turned to the armed man and waited for him to attack when suddenly Hiromu came in view.

Using his super human speed, he disarmed the man and unleashed heavy blows. Soon, the attackers went running in different places.

"I can do it by myself you know," she uttered, her smile short and her face confident. She clasped her hands together for a finished meal and commenced walking towards her apartment. Hiromu followed her, trying to catch up with her speed.

"I didn't say you weren't capable." He said.

She turned to him with her hands folded. "Speaking of which, why are you outside?" Apparently, Hiromu at this time of the night could have been lying in his futon already. She probed further, "Could it be that you missed me, Sakurada-san?"

He was silent. Youko noticed the little creases forming on his forehead.

She resumed her walking. The neighbourhood was as silent as he was. Youko couldn't stand silence. And so once again, she blurted,

"In movies, a boy worries over a girl and searches for her in the neighbourhood for two reasons. First, to see if something bad has happened to her and second, to see if she's dating someone."

"A contradiction, if I may, Usami-san," Hiromu began, "It was recent when you confessed to me. I proposed to you in reply. We are in our early stages of cohabiting. You couldn't be dating somebody else."

Youko stopped in her tracks and narrowed her eyes at him. "I was only kidding~"

"But yes, I missed your presence. If that suffices your query then I believe we should be heading home now" He made two gentle taps on her head and resumed walking before her.

Her mouth formed a little "o" in surprise.

XXXXXX

"What is Youko's name doing in your worksheet, Hiromu?" an astounded Nick asked.

They were at the mecha design lab, which gave an impressive view of Ryuuji's prototype mechas below. Hiromu stared at the ceiling and made a clicking sound with his tongue.

"Ah. That was a recurring mistake. I keep writing her name by accident."

"Could it be that you like her?" the buddyroid probed.

Hiromu winced at the word "like." The word was foreign to him. "Her name pops in her mind because we're living together. Like most lab animals, I am conditioned. I don't think that attraction is the reason behind it."

The glass windows showed Ryuuji in a hurry after Jin.

"He and Ryuuji are close aren't they? It's been the topic of buddyroids eversince. I wouldn't be surprised if they develop feelings for each other." The buddyroid took an enetron from a stack nearby. When he looked back at his friend, his friend was doing a staring contest with a lamp.

"Iwasaki-san is only a brother to her." Hiromu replied, resuming in his work.

"But how about Ryuuji's feelings?" Nick replied back.

Hiromu raised his eyebrows and turned to him. "Let's test your hypothesis"

XXXXXX

"Iwasaki-san, I apologize for intruding your personal space. I have questions I need to ask."

Ryuuji was taking his coffee break when Hiromu intruded. He was not surprised to see him as he was a frequent visitor even in his break time. The inquisitive side of him received admiration from Ryuuji.

"Go on, Hiromu" he said, and offered an empty seat nearby.

Hiromu went asking about mechas at first, and then went to ask a question that was uncharacteristic of him.

"By chance, would you date Usami-san"

Ryuuji almost choked on his pastry. "No," he replied, dusting the crumbs from his lab gown, "She's like a sister to me."

"Test subjects change. There could be a chance of error in your answer."

Apparently, Ryuuji was not aware of the marriage proposal situation. Hiromu's words had shocked him. He didn't even know where they came from.

"Youko will always be a sister to me, Hiromu. Besides, she has someone she likes."

The word "like" earned another wince from him. He stood, thanked Ryuuji for his time, and stepped outside to meet his buddyroid, Nick.

XXXXXX

"How did it go?" the buddyroid inquired.

They were at the rooftop, their favorite place.

It could have been the sun that was beginning to set. But for the first time in his life, the buddyroid saw another expression in Hiromu's face. He was smiling. Widely.

"I'm glad your hypotheses were incorrect. Had it been otherwise, I would have told him to back off."

The buddyroid only had words to himself. _Hiromu, you idiot._


End file.
